Hetland, SD
Hetland, SD's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Hetland's 60 buildings earn a 43rd-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Hetland at the 38th national percentile — 5 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Hetland's building exposure, zone by zone
60 buildings are counted in Hetland, and 50% of them sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone — flame contact, not just ember cast, is the live possibility for most of them, against 50% rated Minimal.
Hetland against the rest of the country
Inside South Dakota, Hetland sits at just the 18th percentile even though it scores 43rd nationally — the state's overall wildfire exposure is high enough to make this a relatively quiet corner of it. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Hetland ranks 17,980 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 30,661 by building count (1 is largest). Within South Dakota alone, it ranks 359 of 439 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for South Dakota on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Hetland
At the 43rd national percentile, Hetland rates elevated for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
What would actually reduce this score
Because Direct exposure dominates in Hetland (50%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 60 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Hetland. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Hetland, see the exposure-zones guide.